Fifth-graders join fight against human trafficking

Oak Park class raises money for Dreamcatcher Foundation

May 29, 2013|Paige Fumo Fox, Special to the Tribune

Fifth-graders in Tye Johnson's class at Beye Elementary School in Oak Park have learned a lot about what it means to be denied freedom. From the colonists at the dawn of the American Revolution to the treatment of Native Americans and the civil rights movement, they have talked about injustice throughout the school year.

They've also tried to fight injustice in today's world — namely, human trafficking. They have organized two fundraisers to benefit the Chicago-based Dreamcatcher Foundation, which helps victims of human trafficking.

"We've been talking about taking a stand all year long," said Johnson, who has been teaching in Oak Park Elementary School District 97 for eight years.

Human trafficking is a cause she is passionate about, and when her students learned that children sometimes are forced into such situations, they caught some of that passion.

"We talked about a few different causes," said Johnson.

Johnson said they spoke about how "people really need to be treated fairly. ... They're in fifth grade. (Discussion) is age-appropriate. We mostly focus on forced labor" instead of delving into the more sensitive issue of prostitution.

Dreamcatcher Foundation is raising money for a crisis-intervention center in Chicago that mainly will work with victims of prostitution.

In December, the students painted coffee mugs and sold them at Overflow Coffee Bar in the South Loop and raised $1,080. They were inspired to do more.

"I'm a teacher, but I'm also an artist," Johnson said. "Anytime I can incorporate the two, I love it."

Garrett Colber, one of Johnson's students, said he didn't know about human trafficking before this school year.

"We just think it's the right thing to do, and we want to help people," Garrett said. "I just think it's a terrible thing, and I want to help in any way I can."

Students have also tried to raise awareness by writing letters to anyone from government officials to Justin Bieber and basketball players, Johnson said. They took it upon themselves to create a spreadsheet of addresses to work more efficiently.